the royals ✅

chap 23: oh sweetie

 As Dave saunters towards her, he radiates a confidence he had not radiated at the bar. He looks like he knows his worth. Who the fuck he is.  His eyes pierce hers, and his hair is tousled perfectly. His suit fits him well, hugging his defined muscles, and his hand is clenched. She has to admit- he cleans up nice. She offers him a sweet smile, placing her hand in his.

 She steadily smiles in his direction, "Ready?" She asks, and she knows she is ready. For the past two days, she has been mentally preparing herself for this very moment. She knows what is going to happen, and she is ready for it to happen. She knows that almost every single one of them will be here. Not including Parker, who thank god, is sick. She does not believe that for a single second, but she does not have the energy to put up with Parker anyways. Fuck him and his stupid little excuses.

 She pities him. He believes that she does not know the full story, but she does. She knows how his sister committed suicide, and she knows that it is not her fault. While Parker may blame it on her, it is because he does not know who else to blame. He smiles softly "As I'll ever be, I suppose" He says, and confidence oozes off him.  It's attractive, that's what it is. She is surprised by the turnaround from two days ago, but she does not comment on it. She knows Lena. Lena is envious of anything, and everyone. Green is not a good color on her, but yet, she wears it often.

 The procession is slow, as various people move into to the building. Photos are snapped a few times, and she forces a genuine smile on her lips. Her father has drilled one thing into her from childhood, and that is to not allow the press to prey on your insecurities. If you ever allow them to do that, they will tear you apart. She keeps smiling, her head tilting from side to side. Nobody dares question Alexis. Nobody ever does.

 Her father is a venture capitalist. He invests in things he believe have a good future. He has built a company around his marketing dreams, and with that, he has earned billions of dollars. Her father is her role model, and he will always be. She strives to be as successful as he is. She stares at the head in front of her. Her mother. Her mother had eased off the pedal, backing off for the past two days sine she deserted her at the Chanel Store. She is now offering her space, and Alexis is glad for it. Her father is beside her mother, and his arm is draped across her mother's shoulder. She is forcing back bile at the sight. Her father is older then her mother by 8 years, as she is his second wife. He had no children with his first wife, and she passed away after 3 years of suffering from cancer.

 They have yearly charities in her remembrance, yet she cannot grieve for someone she never knew. Dave has now grasped her hand in his, cocooning it. His hands are surprisingly warm to the touch, and she is glad for this gesture as they proceed, flashing lights going off every few seconds. As soon as they enter the building, they are greeted by a spectacular lobby. The ceiling is high, and the gorgeous lobby is decorated with various white decor, and lights are strung up throughout the room. As much as she hates her mother right now, the room is impressive. More then she could have possibly done herself.

 The room is extremely dim, and you only have about 20 feet of visibility. She is silent as she glances around at the lobby. A large door opens up to a gorgeous ballroom, which is illuminated with lanterns. She recognizes several familiar faces in the crowd but she does not see any of them yet. She bows her head downwards for several seconds as she stares at her heels. Her feet ache already, even though only several minutes have passed. She keeps breathing in and out, reminding herself to stay calm "Okay," She says as a heavy silence descends upon them "Introductions first. As soon as I see Elaine- Lena's mother, we will go over to them, pretending to introduce ourselves"

David nods. He seems satisfied by her plan.

 Someone taps her on the shoulder, and she swivels around quickly, her head moving far too fast. Her parents. Her mother is shooting Dave a curious look, but she knows better then to ask. Alexandria will not bother answering any questions she has anyways. Her father swivels towards her "Meet Dave," she says calmly as she stares into her father's eyes, noticing him flinch slightly at her unkind gaze "You know Allergen? He works as the bartender" Her father offers him a gruff smile. She hasn't seen them talk in weeks and won't be surprised if her dad doesn't know who Dave is anymore.